The dark side of #fishing, how #plastic debris is destroying the marine environment. The world's #oceans are #polluted with tons of plastic, causing irreparable damage to marine life and #ecosystems. A large amount of plastic #floats in garbage gyres, which are areas where #ocean #currents have picked up large amounts of debris. There are five such gyres #worldwide, but the largest is the Great #Pacific Garbage Patch, GPGP, which covers over 7.7 million square miles. #Garbage patches are not only ugly, but they pose a threat to marine life and the environment. Non-#biodegradable plastic breaks down into tiny particles called microplastics, which can be harmful to #marine #organisms and humans who consume fish. #Microplastics build up in the tissues of marine organisms and eventually infiltrate the #food #chain. The problem with garbage eddies is due to discarded plastic items, especially lost or abandoned #fishing gear. In a survey of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, it was found that up to 86% of the debris was abandoned, lost or discarded by fishing vessels. Fishing nets make up almost half of the waste, while microplastics account for 8% of the mass, but make up over 90% of the number of pieces.
